How do you get the most out of your meetings?  How do you make sure that you get your objective across in the meetings and all attendees walk out of the meeting room with a clear mind?  We’ve got a list for you to achieve this:

1. Call a meeting when it’s necessary.  Don’t call it just for the sake of calling.  Make sure—really sure—that the meeting is needed.
2. Invite only those people that will get something out of the meeting.  This applies to recurring meetings as well.  Let’s not waste time.  Get people that will contribute or get something out of the meeting!
3. Have a detailed agenda. A meeting that does not have an agenda does not call for a meeting.  Set the time limit to each item to keep people wandering off the topic.
4. Schedule your meetings at least a few days in advance.  This gives people ample time to prepare.  Hastily planned meetings are may not yield any output.
5. Cancel your meeting if you think it’s no longer required.  Never, have a meeting just for the sake of having it.
6. Start on time.  Forget about the late comers.
7. Set a time limit. Then think about cutting it in half. If you think you want an hour meeting, try a half-an-hour.  A longer meeting usually end up wasting time.  Isn’t it better to close things in a shorter time?  Sometimes half of that is just fine and it can force everyone to get down to business.
8. Have a leader. Every meeting should have a leader who can lead everyone to the discussion and keeping things on track.
9. Stick to the agenda. Put a chit-chat session in the agenda if you want it to be part of the meeting.
10. End your meeting on time. Resist the temptation to go over.

These tips apply to most of the meeting.  However, there will be exceptions to it.  At the bottom-line, meetings should be held when they are constructive and make good use of everyone’s time.  Everyone should be well prepared in advance to get the best use of their time.